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THE GIRALDA

SEVILLE, SPAIN

IMAGE NUMBER 693

The Giralda (Spanish: La Giralda ; Arabic: الخيرالدة‎‎) is the bell tower of the Seville Cathedral in Seville, Spain.  It was originally built as a minaret during the Moorish period, during the reign of the Almohad dynasty with a Renaissance style top subsequently added by Spanish conquistadors after the expulsion of the Muslims from the area. The Giralda was registered in 1987 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO along with the Alcazar and the General Archive of the Indies. The tower is 104.1 m (342 ft) in height and remains one of the most important symbols of the city, as it has been since medieval times.  The tower has been replicated many times throughout the world, especially in the USA.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 200. Exposure of 1/500th of a second and an aperture of f8.  45 mm Phase One wide angle lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  The image has been cropped and straightened using Capture One.